Wedding Planning

Archive for February, 2010

Every year or so my hair gets long enough to donate. This year Emma was pulling my hair so much, I donated my hair to Pantene which allows you to donate with a minimum of 8 inches, instead of 1o inches with Locks for Love. All hair is made into wigs for children and women affected by cancer. To learn more on hair donation check it out here.

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Leigh Miller Photography above

tanja lippert photography above and below

For someone who personally doesn’t like blue, I’m loving aqua more and more. Not just in weddings, but as a paint color! It’s so fresh and inviting!! Troy painted my office nook this color and it’s stunning against white furniture. Tomorrow I’ll share an annual tradition of mine!!

axioo photography

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Happy Birthday Mom…. Mom has her

artistic/ free spirit/ creative side /do it yourself side

walker + clark photo above

but is also can be glam/ funny/ and pretty crazy with dark & bright colors..

but don’t forget her hippie/ farmers market/ organic / Bohemian side…

then curl up with a good book and make cookies too.

Love you! b

oh yeah and did I mention she loves to be a Grandma??!!!

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Mi Belle Photography

They say wedding details will kill you.. which is impart true. Make sure you focus on details that a) mean the most to you and b) give you the most bang for your buck.

I know I’ve said this a million times, but the one thing your guests see more than even you the bride… is the table centerpiece and tablescape. They literally spend all evening looking at it up close. It’s worth seeing a mock up ahead of time along with the complete table setting. Granted, silverware, glassware and linens will get “messed up” once dinner begins but the table scape and centerpiece is static. Make sure guests can see over it, or around it and that seating it’s too uncomfortably close. Every guest deserves to see the festivities, so skip having tables placed behind pillars, doors or in another room. Think I’m joking? I’ve personally been to more than one wedding reception where our table wasn’t even in the same room as the bride and groom??!!!

W. Scott Chester photo above

Shoe fashion has evolved into a whole new bridal categories in and of itself. Depending on the length of your dress and your personal tastes there is no better place for shoe reviews or inspiration than Kelly’s Shoe Pick’s here.

Lauren Crew photography above

Be creative and personal.

OK, not all of us are creative geniuses, but use online resources to be inspired for FREE!! A current vintage favorite is having guests type their warm wishes on a typewriter. I love this paired with old family wedding pictures!! So fun!!!

image by Tanja Lippert above

Honor family with this wonderful idea of a photo tree. Make sure to include the year the photo was taken, and how they are related to the bride and groom. The key to weddings is to remember that everyone doesn’t know everyone else. Remember to step back and look at the event though the eyes of a guest. Make sentimental pieces like this shine by explaining to everyone who people are and how/ why they are so precious to you. Everyone should feel like an “insider”.

photo above by Stephanie Williams

I love this guest advice/ warm wishes tree. Instead of signing around a picture, guests include their note on a tree leave and add it to the tree. So unique and thoughtful. Remember to use archival, fade resistant pens. Signatures and notes from our warm wishes frame is already fading:-(

Lisa Lefkowitz photograpy above

labeling and packaging.

Another huge weakness of mine is cute packaging.. it could be paper clips or lip gloss, doesn’t matter the contents, if the packaging and labeling is adorable, I’m bound to buy it. DIY cute labels doesn’t take a lot of money, but it will take some time. Invite crafty friends over and you and your inkjet printer can likely turn out some pro looking labels. For inspiration check out Paper Source and/ or countless DIY projects here. Remember bottled or canned gifts (wine, jam, honey, water etc) have quite a shelf life, so you can complete these projects months before the event!

Leigh Miller photo above

Food presentation is a pet peeve of mine.. maybe it’s my family or culture background, but I’m pretty sure food tastes better and has more “wow power” if it’s attractively displayed. Food and beverage is likely your #1 cost, so much sure you get your money’s worth and ask to see pictures of post food presentation. For more killer display ideas check out Amy Atlas!!!

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image above by Megan W

You could win a personalized hanger here! They are created and personalized by LilaFrances. They are the oh-so perfect gift for a bridal or baby shower. I know if I win I’d want mine to say “Emma”!!!

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Sorry for my lack of posts, I have been under the weather….. napping/ crashing a lot thinking about “dating love”‘ and “married for 5 1/2 years love”.

Oh, yes to be engaged all the world is in Technicolor, the sun was brighter, birds sang in the trees and it’s kind of like Sleeping Beauty singing some happy Disney song in the forest. There wasn’t a care in the world and the weekend was an endless list of date opportunities, gifts, inside jokes and countless long phone conversations, e-mails and notes. When dating, most of the time I looked nice, smelled nice and had a 24/7 smile. It’s a great time to be young and unabashedly blissful, in love.

This weekend was “real love”. Real love gives the greatest gifts.. included taking care of a toddler for 3 hours in the middle of the day so I can nothing but nap. It’s crazy, messy hair, no make up and most conversations with me piled under covers asking for more tissues. Real love is me looking and feeling like I was run over by a dump truck and Troy asking, “Maybe you need more Tylenol?!” The greatest gifts theses days are making your meals, cleaning up after a messy toddler, doing laundry and smothering your wife in Vick’s Vapor Rub, while she wears about 5 layers of mismatching clothes/ sweats. Real loves mean you then get to sleep next to very smelly Vick’s Vapor Rub wife, who then snores loudly in your ear all night because she can’t breath through her nose. Real love doesn’t always look, sound or dress for very nicely, but it only gets sweeter with time. Thanks for taking care of me Hon!!

Love- b
You would think after all that I had the plaque, but was just the winter flu, congestion, cough, a fever and all around feeling crummy. I think I’ll survive:)

pic taken in end of ’08 hiking into the Grand Canyon.. I called it the “death hike” because that’s how I felt hiking out

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